Reporter: The #1 Latvian tennis player, Ernests Gulbis, has come out on the court, but his opponent today is not the famous Nadal or Federer, but the younger players. Masha, for example, is already a champion in her age group. The little girl's idol is Ernests Gulbis. To be playing against Gulbis wasn't something the girl even dreamed of.

Masha: I was simply watching it on the tv and I liked how the people played so much, how they run, how beautiful their game is.

Reporter: Artyom already has been playing tennis for 6 years. He takes after his parents whose hobby is tennis. However, the boy wants to take the hobby to a more serious level and become a professional player. To play against Gulbis is a fortunate event for him.

Artyom: They give us a chance to play against the much stronger, famous players. We can learn the technicalities of hitting the ball from them.

EG:Children are always psyched to come and play on courts. I remember myself when I was 10 years old. I would come to every training session and I was so happy and felt lucky to be there. Now I feel the happiness is slowly dissipating.. Towards the end of your career there's less of that feeling of excitement. But I am trying to hold on to that feeling of positiveness. Today I played with the kids. It's nice to know that maybe someday one of these kids will grow up to be a great player. If the child won't succeed in tennis, he will still be a healthy child, with no need to spend time on the street. He will simply choose to go play tennis.

Reporter: Gulbis himself is the grandson of a basketball player, son of an actress and a businessman. It's interesting that he refused to participate in one of the two main sports of Latvia - basketball and hockey.

EG: I was more of an individualist. I think if I chose a team sport, I would be eaten alive there. I like to do things myself, to be responsible for my own success. You play a match - you win, you win; you loose, you loose. You're all by yourself. That is why I chose tennis.

(And then they talk about a group of kids from the crisis center who played tennis for the first time, and then Gulbis signs autographs for the kids.)

Reporter: Latvian #1 player, Ernests Gulbis, held an open training session at the Olympic Sports Center in Riga for the best of the young players in the 10-12 year old group.

EG: I don't remember myself being this young. I like how several of these kids are playing. There's hope for a good outcome.

Reporter: To play with the best of Latvian players, especially with a #25 in the world, was an adventure for the little players. Some of them will have a chance to practice at ball-throwing skills during the Davis Cup weekend.

Roberts: Some of these kids will be ballboys as well. (Reporter: What does that mean?) They will hand out tennis balls to the Latvian best players who will play at the tournament.

Reporter: The Poles are considered the best in doubles, but Ernests thinks that if the arena will be full of supporters, throughout the whole tournament the Latvian team will have a big advantage.

EG: Think about it, if a crowd of at least 2,000 gathers from all across Latvia, all of them thinking positively about their team. Everybody with their spirits united will be able to achieve something. As well as we all know, and as all the books are telling us - thought has great power. If everybody thinks about the victory, wants to achieve that goal, of course that will be very helpful.